The past cannot define you. Nothing can unless you let it. Every day we have a choice: we can stay in our comfort zone and choose to do the things that haven’t really worked out because it’s easier, or we can choose growth. We can choose to believe in ourselves more. We can choose to learn and restart with the new lessons we bring with us. We can choose to be better than we were yesterday.

The past doesn’t equal the future. At one point, I didn’t think that was true. I thought things were going to be on repeat. "Same sh*t, different day". So I didn’t bother trying something different. It was the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy.

And then I realized how tired I was of not trying. I wasn’t in a good place in any aspect of my life. I thought what do i have to lose if I start stepping outside of comfort and into the unknown? The answer was nothing. But I had so much to gain.

We really have so much power over our own lives. It’s unbelievable how much time I spent worrying so much about the things i couldn’t control and not focusing on the ones I could. The serenity prayer is one of my favorite prayers, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the different. I heard it growing up a lot as I have had three parents in program. It’s the prayer on my dad’s mass card that I carry with me everyday. It was on the walls in my house. I heard it so much but I never really heard it. Until one day I finally realized what those words meant. And I started to incorporate them as my compass.

Today, I’m choosing growth. I’m choosing to do the scary things because I know those are the ones I have to do the most. I choose to respond mindfully instead of react habitually. I choose to accept what I cannot change and change what i can if it isn’t working.

Today is going to be a really great day.